Employment-Based Green Card Quotas

US Releases 100,000 New Visa Appointments in India

The US embassy in India has announced that it is releasing 100,000 new appointments for H visa and L visa applicants. The move will go some way towards clearing the backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US embassy in New Delhi and the five satellite consulates suffered long closures that have caused delays to visa processing. This is a particular problem in a country that tops the list for a number of different US visas categories.

Over the past year we have had to get creative for our clients facing long waits. For example, we have helped clients obtain quicker appointments by booking slots at the US consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam instead. This requires careful planning between our India teams and our Vietnam team. Our Vietnam team has been on the ground to provide in-country support once our Indian clients arrive. Indians require a visa for Vietnam, which can be applied for online.

However, many do not have the time or means to get the Vietnam, so the news of new slots for H and L visa appointments is welcome.

The H-1B visa for highly skilled professionals is the most popular visas in India. In fact, Indians account for around three quarters of all H-1B applicants globally. D&A assists H-1B clients with exploring options for staying in the United States before their six years time limit is reached. For example, it is possible to file and Adjustment of Status from H-1B to EB-5 through the Investor Visa program.

The L Visa is for intracompany transfer to the related US office of the Indian firm. The L-1A is for managers & executives and the L-1B is for specialized knowledge employees. Under the L visa rules, it is possible to establish a new US office of your company and transfer yourself as the owner, or other qualifying employees. You must establish a qualifying relationship between the Indian business and the new US business that is being created.

The US has five consulates in India in addition to the embassy in Delhi. They are located in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. If you are booking an appointment for EB-5, you can only do so in Mumbai. Watch our how-to video:

Applying for an EB5 Visa appointment in India

See also

L Visa Appointment Guide: Chennai

L Visa Appointment Guide: Mumbai

L Visa Appointment Guide: New Delhi

L Visa Appointment Guide: Hyderabad

L Visa Appointment Guide: Kolkata


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